How does an intestinal microbe become a pathogen?
The bacterium Escherichia coli is found in the human intestine, and elsewhere. There it is harmless, but in certain conditions it can become a pathogen. It can cause bladder infections or even sepsis. A team of researchers led by RESIST professor Mar.....»»
Aspects of Asian elephants" social lives are not related to amount of intestinal parasites
An international team of scientists found that sociality is not linked to intestinal nematode infection in Asian elephants. The researchers looked at loneliness and characteristics of the elephants' social groups and found no differences in infection.....»»
Microbe protects honey bees from poor nutrition, a significant cause of colony loss
Indiana University researchers have identified a specific bacterial microbe that, when fed to honey bee larvae, can reduce the effects of nutritional stress on developing bees—one of the leading causes of honey bee decline......»»
Researchers find deadly fungus can multiply by having sex, which could produce more drug-resistant, virulent strains
Researchers at McMaster University have unlocked an evolutionary mystery of a deadly pathogen responsible for fueling the superbug crisis: it can reproduce by having sex......»»
Marine Microbe Lures Prey into Custom Slime Traps
These organisms’ private “mucospheres” play an outsize role in the planet’s carbon cycle -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
Intestinal cells and lactic acid bacteria work together to protect against Candida infections
The presence of probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria changes the environment in the intestine and forces the yeast fungus Candida albicans to change its metabolism, making it less infectious. This way, probiotics can contain or prevent the spread.....»»
Nanoparticle sensor can distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia
Many different types of bacteria and viruses can cause pneumonia, but there is no easy way to determine which microbe is causing a particular patient's illness. This uncertainty makes it harder for doctors to choose effective treatments because the a.....»»
Study finds evidence of bovine TB in 15% of rhinos at South African national park
The largest study ever conducted on a free-ranging population of rhinoceroses reveals that about one in every seven rhinos in a key South African national park has been infected with Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), the pathogen that causes bovine tub.....»»
Light-induced changes in shape power a pump in a marine bacterium
RIKEN biochemists have discovered how a miniscule pump in a marine microbe shuttles negative ions into the cell by changing shape when activated by light. As well as providing insights into how these ion pumps work, the findings will be useful for im.....»»
Monitoring the journey of microplastics through the intestine of a living organism
A UAB research team has managed to track the movement of microplastics during their journey through the intestinal tract of a living organism and illustrate what happens along the way. The study, carried out on Drosophila melanogaster using electron.....»»
Study offers clues to understanding the infection mechanisms of a lethal fungus affecting more than 100 crops
An international study on Fusarium oxysporum, one of the most lethal fungi for crops, found, contrary to what had been thought to date, that the absence of a certain type of enzyme increases the rate of infection, although it decreases the pathogen's.....»»
Molecular mechanism of ZDHHC18-mediated palmitoylation of cGAS in innate immunity inhibition
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensing protein, plays an important role in the strong innate immune response induced by pathogen derived nucleic acids......»»
Bill Gates Is So Over This Pandemic
The acerbic optimist thinks anxious people (like me) need to move on from Covid and start planning for the next vicious pathogen......»»
Novel species of pathogenic bacteria of onion identified in Texas
While conducting the survey of bacteria in onions, a team of Texas A&M AgriLife researchers in Uvalde identified a new pathogen—a bacterial species now named for where it was found......»»
Asian elephant cured of tuberculosis developed from long-term latency
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It was the leading cause of human death due to a single pathogen before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. In elephants, infections and deaths from TB have been reported.....»»
Microbe-based faux beef could save forests, slash CO2 emissions
Gradually replacing 20 percent of global beef and lamb consumption with meat-textured proteins grown in stainless steel vats could cut agriculture-related CO2 emissions and deforestation in half by 2050, researchers reported Wednesday......»»
Study finds how Acinetobacter baumannii survives without water on hospital surfaces
The pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii can survive on hospital surfaces—without water—for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections......»»
Adding high-flavonoid corn to broiler chickens" diet may cut intestinal disease
The inclusion of a high-flavonoid corn, developed by a Penn State maize geneticist, in the diet of broiler chickens reduced the incidence and severity of a fatal intestinal disorder known as necrotic enteritis......»»
Exploring the potential food contamination routes of a newly identified foodborne pathogen
People must consume enough safe and nutritious food to remain alive and healthy. Consumption of unsafe foods, contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances, is responsible for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diar.....»»
Some gut viruses promote intestinal health, while others contribute to inflammatory bowel disease
The findings suggest that patients with inflammatory bowel might benefit from therapies that replace disease-driving intestinal viruses with health-promoting viruses......»»
How T cell-derived interleukin-22 promotes antibacterial defense of colonic crypts
Intestinal epithelial cells line the inner wall of the gut, creating a barrier to dangerous bacteria like enteropathogenic E. coli that seek to attach and efface that barrier, causing diarrhea. Such pathogens pose significant risks to human health an.....»»